The Point of No Return
by Ukrainian-Cat
Summary: Lisbon has finally had enough.  She decides to take a two-week vacation from the team - but is that all?  How much further does she remove herself from the team, and can she actually escape them altogether? T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Lisbon had finally had enough. She needed to take a break – a break from the CBI, from her team, and, more specifically, from Jane. He was starting to drive her insane – literally. She knew that she was three incidents away from being committed to a psych ward. So she did what she had to.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Jane always acts seemingly irrationally. What could he possibly have done to push Lisbon over the edge?

It started shortly after Kristina Frye was delivered to the CBI. Jane started acting even more strange and suspicious than usual. It began with the odd (and strange) phone call once or twice a week when they were in the office. Then these calls happened when they were in the field. He would come to work looking exhausted, yet more relaxed (and flirtatious – and insane) than normal. And he smiled – actually smiled – a lot more. But it was an exclusive, slightly unnerving smile. Like he was remembering a private joke. Then came the women. After a few weeks of the phone calls, women started parading through the CBI. It didn't use to happen quite as frequently, maybe once or twice a week, but soon a different woman would arrive with Jane to work. Lisbon had to call security to forcibly remove them, as Jane was loath to part with them. After the women started showing up, she quickly put two and two together and realized Jane's stupid behaviour. He was having one-night-stands every day now. She knew his mental health was rapidly declining since he was flaunting this unhealthy behaviour.

This whole situation was simultaneously depressing her, frustrating her, and driving her insane. She had been in love with him for a while now, and it hurt that he was seeking comfort in these hordes of women. But what bothered her most was that she couldn't fix it. She couldn't fix him, or his problems.

The team was so tense and she was falling apart. Grace couldn't believe that Jane would act so grotesquely and, in her eyes, immorally, so she wasn't talking to him. Cho and Rigsby couldn't believe his arrogance and insensitivity. No one on the team wanted to spend much time with him. Lisbon, the constant martyr, tried for weeks to get him to focus on the case instead of the next hot girl he had lined up for his bed, but his stubborn streak held strong. He was not letting go of his poison, though it was slowly killing him, and by extension Lisbon. He had always been a charming flirtatious man, but now he was focused merely on the sexual. He forgot his rule of seduction. Most women avoided him like the plague, but the bimbos – those he preyed upon. They feasted his insanity, and Lisbon's misery.

It took her three months to reach this point, but she had finally reached her breaking point. She did what she had to – she went to see Hightower.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. Real life kicked in. I'm a 4th year undergrad student, so I'm busy with essays and midterms.

I also noticed that the fic "Everywhere She Isn't" seemed to have a similar idea in mind as my story, so I chose to wait to see how that one ended before continuing my story. Any similarities is purely coincidental. Great minds and all. We seem to have gotten similar ideas around the same time. Strange how that happens, isn't it? Well, with no further ado, here's Chapter 2.

CHAPTER 2

Lisbon knocked brusquely on Hightower's office door.

"Come in."

She entered the office, alternately filled with feelings of desperation and foolishness. Hightower had not glanced up from her stack of paperwork yet. Lisbon waited for a few moments before deciding that this was a mistake. She had just turned around to leave when Hightower finally raised her head.

"Agent Lisbon?" Her face reflected her surprise. "What can I do for you?"

"I want to quit," Lisbon blurted out.

Hightower stared at her in shock. "Quit? Why? What's going on, Agent Lisbon?" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she asked the last question.

Lisbon focused her attention on the ground, shuffling her feet awkwardly. "Uh–"

"Come on, Agent Lisbon. If you have a problem, I need you to tell me."

"Well . . . you've seen how Jane's been acting these last few months. Since Miss Frye's been returned to us, he's been cycling out of control."

"Yes, Lisbon, I have noticed. Don't worry; he'll come around. He just needs to find his anchor in life again, that's all."

"It's not just that! He's killing me. Seeing him with all those women – it's driving me insane. I can't work like this anymore. I can't work with _him_ anymore. I'm three steps away from committing myself – one if he does something really stupid."

Desperation oozed out of every syllable and Hightower heard it loud and clear. "I see. And who would you choose to replace you? You do realize that has to be arranged before you can resign."

"Agent Cho. It'd be better having someone they trust than imposing someone new on them."

"Alright. I see you've given this some serious consideration. I'll accept your resignation."

"Thank you, Ma'am."

"No that you're unemployed, I'd like to offer you a job. There is an opening for a senior agent in the Organized Crime Unit. Since the massacre last year, we've had trouble rebuilding it, but the team that's been assembled is one of the sharpest in the Bureau. They just need a leader, and they will be all set."

"That's Bosco's old job?"

"Yes it is."

"Alright, I'll take it."

"Good. It'd be a shame to lose such a fine agent. Jane always held you back."

Lisbon felt a sense of indignation rising up within her. "Jane is–"

"No need to justify him to me. He's the golden boy of the CBI. He closes case, but he has this tendency to bring those around him down with him."

Lisbon couldn't deny this. After all, his descent into madness had dragged her down as well.

"Lisbon, just a few things before you go. I think it'd be a good idea if you took a two-week paid vacation before starting your new job. To collect yourself and de-stress. Get Jane out of your system. Go wherever you want, have a fling – it'd do you some good."

Lisbon nodded her consent. She knew this was what she needed – minus the fling. That was kind of insulting. But at the same time, she knew her boss understood her attraction to Jane, her love for Jane. She knew she had to get away, if even for just two weeks.

"Another thing – you'll be keeping the same office. It'll show your team you're not abandoning them, just doing what's best for you. Finally. They can still see you come into the office in the mornings – still have contact with you. It'll lessen the blow. Don't tell them you've taken another job until you return from vacation. Let them get used to Cho running things."

Lisbon merely nodded. She had hoped for the same office – it simplified things greatly, though seeing Jane everyday would still be hard. And as for telling them about changing jobs – she wasn't sure she ever wanted to do that. They would try to convince her to stay, and for her own sanity, she simply couldn't.

"One more thing – do not let them call you or contact you in any form while you are on vacation. You don't need the stress. Block them if you have to. You can call me if you wish, but only if you need someone to talk to as a friend. No business, no work on vacation. Tell me how you're doing, talk about the cute guys you meet, that kinda thing."

Lisbon wasn't sure if she would ever take Hightower up on that offer. They hadn't exactly gotten off on the right foot when they first met. But to be polite, she replied, "I'll think about it." _You never know – if I can't contact anyone else I know, I might have to depend on Hightower's friendship after all_. She hoped it didn't come to that.

"Now that's all arranged, go out there and tell your team you're going on vacation."

Lisbon left Hightower's office more relaxed that she'd felt in a long time. It would be a great two weeks. Now to tell the team.


End file.
